Advanced FT-IR Gas Analysis Instrument for Improved Process Monitoring and on-site Characterization

The Air Force has requirements for site cleanup and environmental compliance related to contaminated groundwater. Remedial operations of water contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) presently utilize technologies such as air stripping, activated carbon treatment, reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, and pervaporation. All of these methods require an advancement in monitoring technology to provide real-time on-site information of VOC concentration in the process stream to determine whether treated water meets cleanup criteria. The goal of this project is to significantly reduce the analysis time and cost of water remediation monitoring from the presently used Field Analytical Method (FAM) of GC/MS. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscoy is emerging as a promising FAM, but needs innovative advancement. This project (Phase I and II) will produce critical components to advance FT-IR well beyond the capabilities of GC/MS for analysis speed, cost per sample, ruggedness, ease of use, safety, and system cost with part per billion sensitivity to VOCs. Phase I will begin with the feasibility of a reduced volume, high throughput long optical path gas cell (500 cc, 60 meter effective path length) for use with a field proven FT-IR. The 60 m mini-cell will allow for significantly faster analysis (10 sec for ppm accuracy, 3 min for ppb accuracy) than the 1/2 hour necessary for GC/MS while replacing the heavy, large volume, long length gas cells presently used with FT-IR systems. If Phase I is successful, the project will proceed by addressing operating, analysis, and regulator issues. Then a fully integrated FAM will be produced for an extended demonstration at a water remediation site.